REAL ID Requirements for Flying: What Happens Without One (2026)

Since May 7, 2025, the TSA has enforced REAL ID at airport checkpoints. If your driver’s license is not REAL ID-compliant and you do not have another accepted ID, you can still fly — but it now costs money and time. Here is how to check your card, which IDs work and what happens if you forget.

What is REAL ID?

REAL ID is a federal standard for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards, created by the REAL ID Act of 2005. Compliant cards are issued only after the state verifies your identity documents in person.

How to tell if your license is REAL ID-compliant

• Look for a star in the upper part of the card (gold, black or a star inside a shape, depending on the state).
• Cards marked “Not for Federal Identification” or “Federal Limits Apply” are not REAL ID.
• Enhanced driver’s licenses (EDLs) from Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington are accepted even without a star.

IDs the TSA accepts instead of a REAL ID license

Temporary paper driver’s licenses are not accepted. Expired IDs are generally accepted for up to two years after expiration, per TSA policy.

No REAL ID? The $45 TSA ConfirmID fee

Since February 1, 2026, travelers who show up without a REAL ID or another acceptable ID can use TSA ConfirmID, an alternative identity verification process.

• Cost: $45, non-refundable.
• Valid for: a 10-day travel period, so a round trip within 10 days needs one payment.
• How: pay online before you go (recommended) or near the checkpoint where available, then complete identity questions or verification.
• Risks: verification can take extra time and is not guaranteed. If TSA cannot confirm your identity, you will not be allowed through.

Who does not need REAL ID?

• Children under 18 traveling with an adult inside the U.S. do not need ID at TSA (airlines may have their own rules for unaccompanied minors).
• REAL ID is not needed to drive, vote, apply for federal benefits or enter hospitals and post offices.

How to get a REAL ID (step by step)

1. Check your state DMV website for its document checklist; many offer appointments online.
2. Gather original documents (no photocopies):
   • Proof of identity: U.S. passport or certified birth certificate.
   • Proof of Social Security number: Social Security card, W-2 or SSA-1099.
   • Two proofs of state residency: utility bill, bank statement, lease or mortgage statement.
   • Proof of name change if your name differs (marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order).
3. Visit the DMV in person; first-time REAL ID requires an in-person visit.
4. Pay the state fee (often the same as a standard renewal).
5. Many states send the card by mail; bring an alternative ID if you fly before it arrives.

Which option is right for you?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming a recently renewed license is automatically REAL ID — it is not unless you asked for it.
• Bringing photocopies to the DMV.
• Using a nickname or old name on the airline ticket. Your ticket name must match your ID.
• Leaving the passport at home on a domestic trip when your license has no star.

Bottom line: check your license for the star today. If it is missing, carry your passport or another accepted ID, or get a REAL ID before your next trip to avoid the $45 ConfirmID fee and delays at security.

Rules and fees may change. Confirm the latest requirements on tsa.gov and your state DMV website.